Korean name romanization is the writing of a Korean name in Latin letters instead of Hangul. It records the sound of the name and does not translate the meaning. South Korea's official system is the Revised Romanization of Korean, which the government published in 2000.
Korean Name Romanizer
Korean Name Romanizer writes a Hangul name in Latin letters. It shows the standard Revised Romanization, the common spellings of the surname and the hyphen form on one screen.
Surname length
Name order
Letter case
Spellings
Type a name in Hangul to see the spellings.
This result is a reference only. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea makes the final decision on the English name in a passport.
It is difficult to change the English name in a passport after the first issue.
If you put a space in the given name (Gil Dong), the second part can be read as a middle name.
If you already have a passport, the usual rule is to keep that spelling.
We recommend the same surname spelling as your parents, brothers and sisters.
The name is not sent to a server and is not saved.
How to use Korean Name Romanizer
- Type the full name in Hangul, for example 홍길동.
- Check the surname and the given name. Change the surname length if the split is wrong.
- If your family already uses an English surname, type it. That spelling goes to the top.
- Choose the name order and the letter case, then copy the spelling that you want.
What is Korean name romanization?
How a Korean name is romanized
- The surname comes first, then the given name, with a space between them. The official examples write 민용하 as Min Yongha.
- Each vowel has a fixed spelling. ㅓ is eo, ㅡ is eu, ㅐ is ae and ㅕ is yeo.
- ㄱ, ㄷ and ㅂ are written g, d and b before a vowel, and k, t and p before a consonant or at the end of a word. So 박 is Bak.
- As a rule, ordinary words follow the standard pronunciation: 신라 is pronounced [실라], so it is written Silla. Given names are an exception: 빛나 is pronounced [빈나] but is written Bitna.
- The system says that the spelling of surnames is decided separately. Spelled by the letter table, 김 is Gim, 이 is I and 최 is Choe.
When to use Korean Name Romanizer
- Compare spellings before you apply for your first Korean passport.
- Choose the same surname spelling as your parents for a child's passport.
- Write your name on a business card, an email signature or a form for study or work abroad.
- Learn how the name of a Korean actor, singer or friend is written in English letters.
Questions about Korean name romanization
Which rule does this tool use?
It uses the Revised Romanization of Korean, the system that the government of the Republic of Korea published. For personal names, the rule does not show sound changes between syllables. So 복남 is Boknam, not Bongnam. The given name is written as one word, and a hyphen between syllables is allowed: Gildong or Gil-dong.
Why does 김 show Gim and Kim?
Gim is the spelling from the romanization rule. Kim is the spelling that most people with this surname use. The rule lets people keep the surname spelling that they already use. This tool shows the two types side by side and does not rank them. Common examples are Kim, Lee, Park, Choi and Jung.
Can I use this result for a passport?
Use it only as a reference. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea makes the final decision on the English name in a Korean passport. This tool is not connected to the ministry. If you already have a passport, the usual rule is to keep the spelling in that passport.
Should I put a space or a hyphen in the given name?
Write the given name as one word (Gildong) or with a hyphen (Gil-dong). If you put a space between the syllables (Gil Dong), people outside Korea can read the second part as a middle name. A hyphen also shows the syllable border: Han-a and Ha-na are different names, but the two are Hana without a hyphen.
Why should family members use the same surname spelling?
Documents for visas, school and travel compare family names. If a parent is Lee and a child is Yi, you may have to prove that you are one family. Type the surname spelling that your family uses, and this tool puts that spelling at the top.
Are two-syllable surnames supported?
Yes. The tool recognises 남궁, 황보, 제갈, 선우, 독고, 사공, 서문 and 동방 as surnames. For other names, it reads the first syllable as the surname. You can also put a space between the surname and the given name, or choose the surname length.
Is the name that I type sent to a server?
No. The conversion runs in your browser. The name is not sent to a server and is not saved.